Hernando sheriff’s deputies said he admitted to peering into a teen’s window five times for sexual gratification.

BROOKSVILLE – Hernando sheriff’s deputies have a accused a Brooksville man of leaving his 10-year-old son alone while he was out peering into a teenage girl’s window.

Chad Michael Rodrigues, 42, of Painted Leaf Drive, Brooksville, was charged with five counts of voyeurism and one count of child neglect, according to the Hernando Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies said they were on routine patrol about 10:15 p.m. Tuesday (May 31) when they saw Rodrigues peering into a bedroom window. The room was occupied by an 18-year-old female.

Rodrigues told deputies he was searching for his lost dog, which has been missing for six weeks. After further questioning, deputies said Rodrigues admitted he lied about looking for his dog and was actually there to look into the teen’s window. Rodrigues told detectives he has looked into the teen’s window on five separate occasions for sexual gratification. Deputies said he also admitted that, on one occasion, he masturbated as he looked into the teen’s bedroom window.

After his arrest, deputies said they discovered Rodrigues had left his 10-year-old son home alone on Painted Leaf Drive with access to a loaded 12-gauge shotgun and a loaded 9mm pistol. Deputies said the child told them it was not uncommon for him to wake up in the middle of the night and find nobody home. The child said his father usually told him that he went for a walk.